In recent years, due to the demand for saving resources, an image forming apparatus having an erasing function of erasing an image printed on a sheet has been developed. In a case of performing a printing job, the image forming apparatus prints the image on the sheet using erasable toner. The erasable toner is toner of which the color is erased at a predetermined erasing temperature. In a case of performing an erasing job, the image forming apparatus heats the image printed on the sheet using the erasable toner at the erasing temperature to erase the color of the erasable toner, thereby erasing the image.
The image forming apparatus includes a heating unit which heats the image on the sheet in order to perform the printing job and the erasing job. A heating temperature of the heating unit varies between the case of performing the printing job and the case of performing the erasing job. An operation mode of the image forming apparatus is temporarily a preparation mode in order to change the heating temperature during switching between the printing job and the erasing job. The operation mode of the image forming apparatus transitions to an operation mode for each job after the preparation mode. Therefore, in a case of performing the erasing job subsequent to the printing job, or in a case of performing the printing job subsequent to the erasing job, there is a problem in that the image forming apparatus takes time for making a switching between the operation modes.